"but then I read about the repair and reliability issues, and am back to square one" Don't know where you got that tidbit - but it's not a very accurate picture at all. I don't doubt you've found a bad review or two about a 700 series, it's 15 years old now but has a great track record. EVERY BRAND has bad reviews, period. You'll never want to buy anything if you're searching for an appliance that has all good reviews. Bottom or drawer freezer models are no better or worse as a design in terms of reliability. FWIW , Miele and Thermador both make bottom freezer models with the same EXACT internals as their all fridge/freezer models !!! Like I said in the other thread, the reason to not get a 700 series is it's 15 years old and sched. for replacement in a few minutes. I have two of those units( one 1999 vintage) with nary an issue except light bulbs. Have also designed 500+ into kitchens over that time too, and can't recall but one or two that called for service. Burnt up motors because of dust/lint/ hair buildup on the coils - in other words - operator error. You also need to be sure to buy your cabinet maker / designer / AND installer before you even contemplate one of those armoire units - especially at 2 x 36" fridges. You best have a sizable wall or a very long cabinetry run to accommodate a 84" wide armoire unit. Lots to go wrong that can derail the look.

Just for clarity, the Miele cooler boxes are made at the BSH factory in Turkay. The electronics are made by Miele, I believe (but am not sure) in Germany, and I've heard that final assembly is in Germany. Still not USA, but for what it's worth. I chose Miele primarily because the units fit better in my kitchen. I grew up with SubZero and originally assumed I'd get that. Both are good. SubZero has a long history of mostly exceptional units. Miele created the current offerings for the North American market so there's much less of a record, but the repair folks seem to think they're just as good. Things I liked better about Miele, besides the sizes, include the lower drawers that are the full depth of the firdge and the shallow door shelves, the height, the feel of the drawers and shelves, the angle of the doors when open, and, of course, the glamour lighting. I also like how easy it is to remove the shelves and baskets for cleaning. I think one of the weak points, however, is where the clips that hold the drawers on the rails connect. They're a little too plasticy, sometimes squeek, and I worry that they may break at some point. Oh, and getting the filters in and out is harder than it looks. OTOH, I love the drawer temperature selections. Word of warning: The dispenser is the weakest part of any unit, and the ice maker is second. You might look into the merits of the two models on that level as a decision point besides price. I have no information about it on these particular units, however. Whichever you choose will be excellent. Enjoy!

Thermador has been at it far longer than subzero so I normally recommend them (or miele or gaggenau which come out of the same factory). They have been very reliable and are well priced. The only instance where the subzero has an advantage is the install with regards to the hinge. If you are installing in a tight space, the hinge on a subzero opens within the width of the unit. So you can put it up against a wall or hinge to handle. In the therm/miele/gag units the hinge is articulating and opens wider than the body of the unit by about 2"

I apologize if this is in the wrong thread as this may be my first houzz thread post. Mostly a silent observer but I'm in need of some advice. We're starting a kitchen remodel in July and I've been agonizing over the stove/fridge. First things first, I'm not dead set on matching all of the appliances. I'm a firm believe in best of breed and as some others have posted above means buying different things from different companies. Here's what were planning on installing in the new kitchen: 48 inch stove with dual ovens, we're not splitting the ovens and range top. A 36 inch fridge, was thinking built in but if there are other options to consider I'm game. A dishwasher and perhaps a drawer microwave. I've been waning a Blue Star stove for the longest time but I've now read enough threads here to make me question that. Are they truly that problematic? Between tales of the convection fan turning off when the gas is going in the oven to the horrible customer service, is that really the experience people have had? They look beautiful. I'm more of a no-frills kind of guy and believe that simpler is better and lasts longer. I have a friend with a 20 year old blue start hat has had exactly two things break on it in 20 years: an igniter and a rack clip. That's it. Has the company gone down hill? What attracted me to the blue star was the insane BTU and configuration of using a griddle/grill on any of the burners. The circular grates for a wok are also attractive in my head and purely functional. However the reviews and one appliance store salesman have made me question wether this is a good investment. Originally we had been planning on a built in fridge from BS and the Platinum 48" Stove. So now that I've been reading a bunch more I'm wondering if perhaps I shouldn't consider WOLF or Miele. Between the two which would you choose? Thermador is a contender but Miele seems to have some nice features. As I said I prefer no frills, but it seems that outside of the BlueStar most of the other brands incorporate a bunch of new features and technologies. Before you ask, we do all kinds of cooking. My wife bakes and I do everything sous vide cooking in a circulator bath to low and slow braising, high heat searing of animal proteins, pretty much everything. I always figured that at this level and this price point most of these unites would be fairly bullet proof and last for a good long time. I hadn't really thought about the customer service aspect of purchasing something so pricey but it occurs to me now that perhaps I should. Are there any brands besides Thermador, Miele, Wolf and Blue Star to consider that deliver similar performance or are in that same class? Someone suggested Heston but I wasn't thrilled with what i saw or read about them. Thank you in advance for your thoughts. Cheers.